1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a photocatalyst optical fiber in which the photocatalyst optical fiber has a photocatalyst.
Further, the invention relates to a method for activating the photocatalyst optical fiber.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that a photocatalyst is activated by irradiation of light with relatively short wave length such as ultraviolet (UV) light and the photocatalyst decomposes or dissolves a substance that is contacted, stuck or closed with the photocatalyst by reaction of oxidation and/or reduction or photocatalyst effect.
The photocatalyst is a kind of photo-activated semiconductors such as Titanium Dioxide (TiO.sub.2).
There are many fields capable of applying the photocatalyst, for instance, a cleaning to delete dirty component from a surface of articles, a dirt protection to prevent sticking of a dirty component, an infection, a deleting of smell, a cleaning of air, a processing of exhausting gas, a cleaning of water, a processing of exhausting water, a dissolving of water to make Hydrogen, a speeding up of chemical reaction and a dissolving of pollutant causing social pollution.
All the applications as mentioned in the above utilize the photocatalyst reaction or photocatalyst function by strong oxidation and/or reduction power to show when the photocatalyst is activated.
For example, when the photocatalyst is irradiated by the light rays with short wave length, it activates Oxygen (O.sub.2) existing in the air, Oxygen dissolving in the water or Oxygen being mixed in the water, so that an Ozone (O.sub.3) or an activated Oxygen (O) generates and the Ozone or the activated Oxygen decomposes mold, bacteria and organic chlorine compound including in the water by oxidization reaction. Therefore, the smell-less and color-less water is obtained and the water is sterilized.
Furthermore, when the photocatalyst [being radiated] is irradiated by the light rays with short wave length, it accelerates to decompose i.e. resolve the water H.sub.2 O to activated oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H.sub.2).
Moreover, the photocatalyst as circumstance cleaning material contributes to decomposition of pollutants which gives a bad influence to a social circumstance, in which the pollutants are for example a volatile organic solvent, a chemical agent for agriculture such as grass eliminating agent i.e. insecticide, an organic phosphate and a deleterious inorganic chemical compound such as cyanide and a kind of chrome.
In case that multiple photocatalyst particles are used directly for reaction of oxidation and/or reduction with any substance, it is so difficult that the photocatalyst particles are separated and collected, and a device to utilize the photocatalyst particles becomes complicated and large.
While, in the case that multiple photocatalyst particles are used as a form of photocatalyst supported substrate in which a layer including the photocatalyst particles is fixed and supported on the substrate, the recycle use of the photocatalyst particles can be easily carried out, because the separation and collection of the photocatalyst particles are not needed.
As for the latter case using the photocatalyst supported substrate, the publication of unexamined patent application of Japan No. 155726/1993 discloses that a Titanium Dioxide layer of photocatalyst is coated on a substrate such as metal, ceramics and glass, for the purpose of protecting a surface of the substrate from growth of bacteria.
In the related art, light rays emitting from a light source are partially used for activation of photocatalyst and the object to be cleaned is irradiated indirectly by the light rays, because the object exists between the light source and the photocatalyst layer on the photocatalyst device.
Therefore, the related art has such disadvantage that an effective use is not made for the light rays emitting from the light source and a large volume of the light source with high power is required to accelerate a photocatalyst reaction in a photocatalyst reactor.